Jinja and Shoga: Life in the Land of the Rising Sun

  Yesterday, we decided to escape the heat (the car thermometer read 30 C--86F, but the humidity makes it feel much worse) and headed up to Lake Tanuki with a picnic lunch. Tanukiko, aka Lake Tanuki, is one of Mt. Fuji's 5 lakes, so the area around it is much cooler than Shizuoka. We didn't actually see Mt. Fuji this time due to cloud cover, but it's a beautiful location nonetheless.
 We had a relaxing walk around the lake after eating and then stopped for locally-made ice cream at a cow farm on the way home. And of course, I had to stop and see the cows themselves. There's nothing better than ending a peaceful afternoon with some quality cow time!


    The belly is really starting to show...or maybe it was all the veggies I ate at lunch

                           Rather expensive hotel on the lake



       Unflattering picture of me and the ice cream...only one cone was mine. I swear!


                           Source of the lovely ice cream

                     This kid had no parents to be found, so she adopted us for a while